Why Women Wear Lip Plates

We are waiting for some information to check out with our adoption agency.  So the process really has not moved forward in a couple weeks.  We are still preparing for the yard sale but have been sick for a few days so we really have not got much of anything done.  I put a picture of a woman with a lip plate on my last blog and it got me curious why women wear these plates.  I thought I would share the answer!

Lip plates can be found in multiple African countries.  In Ethiopia, it is the Mursi that wear them.  The way it works is that when a girl reaches the age at which she is considered a woman, about 15 or 16, the mother will cut a slit in her bottom lip.  Inside that slit she will place a small plug.  When the slit heels, the girl can place a lip plate in the hole.  She can then increase the size of the lip plate to however large she wants.

There have been many different studies trying to figure out why these women do this.  One study concluded that the larger the lip plate is, the more it is worth.  Another one stated that when the people were enslaved, they started this practice to make themselves less attracted to slave traders.

Then someone finally went to the women who actually wear these plates and asked why.  They were told that it signifies a woman's commitment to her culture and her husband.  If her husband dies, she can no longer wear one.  Women who do not wear lip plates are considered shameful.  They do not have pride or feel like they are worthy of having nice things.  

There has been rumor that some women are refusing to wear lip plates.  They say it is an old tradition that should no longer continue.  Some same this tradition will completely disappear with time.  It is so interesting to me what other cultures consider "normal."  This seems so strange and unnecessary to me but to these people it is an important right of passage for a young women.  Anyways I just thought I would share a little piece of Ethiopian culture with you!